Fence gate construction



Nov. 20, 1951 ETNYRE 2,575,947

FENCE GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 5, 1949 .2 SHEETS SHEET l Nvaw-row (A -wt n r e rams Nov. 20, 1951 ETNYRE 2,575,947

FENCE GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 5, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 mm, aoiwcu'ol CH. 6 ngsv-e,

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Patented Nov. 20, 1951 FENCE GATE CONSTRUCTION Edward A. Etnyre, Oregon, Ill.

Application April 5, 1949, Serial No. 85,644

2 Claims.

This invention relates to fence gates of the flexible type in which wires forming the gate proper are attached at spaced points along .an upright bar or gatepost manually movable to open or close the gate. To close such a gate, the lower end of the bar is usually inserted in a loop on an adjacent fence post and the upper bar end is swung toward the post manually to tighten the wires after which the upper bar end is held by another loop on the post.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide in a fence gate of the above character a novel lever mechanism which is easy to operate and which enables the gate wires to be drawn tighter than in prior devices.

Another object is to lock the lever mechanism automatically as an incident to movement thereof to tightened position and to utilize the tension of the gate wire to retain this position.

A further object is to provide for convenient actuation of the lever from either side of the fence.

A more detailed object is to utilize the lever tightening mechanism through the intermediary of a link attachable to the fence post and swingable over-center to draw the gate and fence posts toward each other.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accom- :1

panying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a wire fence having a gate embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken "along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

tration in a flexible gate comprising generally a series of vertically spaced parallel wires l connected at one end to a fence post (not shown) and at their other ends to a bar or gatepost H which may be moved about to open the gate or drawn toward and secured to a rigid fence post l2 to close the gate. 1 to 5, thejbar H comprises a rigid tube 13 welded to one edge of a metal reinforcing strip I 4 having holes l5 punched therein along the other edge to receive the gate wires l 0.

In the form shown in Figs.

One end of the bar, in this instance the lower end I1, is anchored by inserting this end into a suitable loop fastened to the lower end of the fence post l2. The loop may, as shown, take the form of a hook l8 projecting from and anchored in the post.

The invention contemplates the provision, on the upper end of the gate post ll (Fig. 1) or on the post l2 (Fig. 6), of a lever 9 swingable'substantially in the plane of the gate and detachably connectable to the other post so that in swinging the lever through a substantial arc, the lever acts at a great mechanical advantage to draw thetwo posts toward each other and thus tension the gate wires tightly. The lever 9 is generally L- shaped having a short arm in the form of-a disk is fulcrumed on the supporting post and welded to a rod 20. The latter, which constitutes the long arm 20 of the lever, is disposed at somewhat less than a right angle to the other or short arm and, near its end, is bent laterally to forma handle 2| which coacts with the arm 20 to constitute a crank.

To enable the lever to be actuated conveniently from both sides of the gate, the arms l9 and 20 are duplicated and respectively disposed on opposite sides of the extending upper end 22 of the bar I I when the lever mechanism is mounted on the gate post as shown in Figs. 1 to 5. In this instance, the two disks 19 are welded to opposite ends of a shaft 23 which constitutes the fulcrum of the levers and is journaled in two bushings 24 welded to the bar extension 22 on opposite sides thereof and perpendicular to the plane of the bar. Ample clearance for the actuating arms 20 is achieved by spacing the disks a substantial distance apart and flaring the arms 20 outwardly from their inner ends which, in this. instance, are welded to the inner faces of the disks; The lever mechanism is utilized to draw the gate toward the fence post 12 through the intermediary of a link 25 attachable at one end to the fence post and pivoted at its other end. on the lever 9 so as to be swingable over-center with respect to the lever fulcrum 23. In this instance, the link 25 comprises an elongated bail or loop having substantially straight parallel sides 26 which straddle the disks 19 of the lever B and a rounded end 2! forming an eye which is adapted to interlock with an upwardly opening hook 28 anchored in the fence post l2 near the upper end thereof. The other end 29 of the link is squared and extends through holes in the disks 119 near arms 20 of the lever. Thus, the .short arm l9 of the lever 9 extends from the link pivot 29 to the lever fulcrum 23 while the long arm 20 of the lever extends from the fulcrum outwardly to the handles 2 I, the two arms being disposed relative to each other at the acute angle above referred to. 7

With the link and lever pivotally connected and mounted as described above, the link pivot 29 will,.by counterclockwise swinging of the lever handle'through' substantially a half revolution, be moved from a position (Fig. 4) adjacent the fence post I2 over and across the lever fulcrum 23 to a position on the other sideiof the'bar: I I. This motion is arrested when the link has moved slightly over-center or across and below thelever 1 fulcrum 23 as shown in Fig.3. While this may be accomplished by a stop acting on the lever 9, the stop in this instance is formed by the upper end surface 30 of the bar II which surface is ppos'ltioneda to1:engagei the link end. or pivot 2 9 as r. itfreaches the over-center:-position.

Assuming: that:.the Lgate' constructed as shown film-Figs 1' to. 5: is:open:and.-iszto:.be closed; the bar 5 I tris'moved: bodily'toanupstanding position adjacent the fence post I2 (Fig. 1) andthe-wlower ztbarixend' IT'is interlockedwith the hook I 8 on the z-rlower end of :the fence: ost. Thei'handle 2I'is atherr grasped and rotatedfin a clockwise direction tuntiltthe link-pivot. .isnmoved to the-side of a-thetbar II 5 adjacent the fence;post I2. The roundedsen'd. 2l-ofjthe link 25 is then swung'over randiinterlocked' with: the upwardly opening hook :28 011112116 fence post (Fig.4). The link 25 thus "extendsputwar'dly fromithe bar II and the-gate ev'viresi hang-relatively loose. 1T0 tighten the-gate invites, :the handle is tgrasped again and? rotated zina 'reverse or counterclockwise direction. through substanti'allya half revolution, the link-:pivot by 'zthismotionzibeing' carried up and over' the fulrcrumi23tandidown on. theother side:ofithe bar. this .motion,r'the. bar II is drawn toward? the fence post a distance equal to the'length 0f the zishortzlever arm: orin' other words; approximately iithetdiameterx ofthe disks. I9. The: gates-wires: 'I 11 are: thus drawn" taught" and tightly. tensioned.

. Just-after the link :haspassed over center or i-z-below. the: level of" the. fulcrum 23. as shown :in ..Eigs.3' l and'3, its motion is. arrested by engagei'ymentiof'thepivot 29 and the bar surface iiil in the :manner described above. Continued rotation of lithe/link which is urged by thetensionzof. the wires J: IILon the bar .acting. backi .throu'gh the :link conifiIlUES-QtOi urge thelever '9. counterclockwise. but ithiSJiS prevented bynthe stop'lSO-and: the lever is *rtained in a. locked position (Figi. 1)

. ".Totopenfthe .gate'from the closedxpositiont-in 1;:one handlec2 I: is grasped: andswungima clockwiseidirection; thereby raising the link pivot 'z and-zcarrying itiback; over. the'fulcrum 23 to the asiderof the-bar adjacent the" fence post. .In'this rmovement" the :bar: is urged away from theispost zaandithetension on the gate wires is thereby progressively: released :until the link again extends coutwardly' from the bar as shown in Fig. 4. .With nthe :upper wires III thus loosened; the link :may iisbei lifted on from fthe'hook 28 after which the lowerbar .end' I I zmay" be disengaged from the :lower hook' I8; :The "gatepost I I. is thereby dettached from the fence postz I2 and-may. bemoved :out of"v the way: to provide .the desiredopening in the? fence.

.Insteadrof :mounting:.the"lever' 9. on. the moveable gate'posti I I ,i itunay. be; attached to? the sta- :gtionary fence: post I2a1as shown iniEig; 6, in'which eGfiSGLlRheEgflte post. I I;:may;.: if desired," be: madejof 4 wood with its upper end small enough to be received in the bail or link 25. To permit of such mounting, the support for the lever may take the form of a rod 32 secured as by a weld 33 to the bushing 24 and projecting tangentially and laterally from the latter well beyond the periphery of the disks IS. The outer end portion of the rod 32 may be formed as a wood screw with a thread 34 so that it may be screwed into the stationary post I2 by means of a wrench applied to a head 35 of the rod. In this instance, the

' stop for defining the over-center position of the :leverll'is formed by the rod 32 which is engaged by the inner squared end 29 of the link 25 when I the arms-20 and this end have reached the positions shownin-phantom in Fig. 6.

In the use of this form of the invention, the

thread 34 on the outer end portion of the rod 32 is turned into the fence post I2 so as to project laterally therefrom byv applying :a wrench to therhead135. .With the;link pivot-29 and ,the handle 2 I" swung counterclockwise around the fulcrum 23 toapcsition. away fromthefence. post I2: asshown in;.full::in 'Fig. 6,. the rounded end POIl'IlOIIJZTOf'JthGT link '25 is swung overtheupper end'fportioniof .the gate; post II. To: draw the gate post: II .toward thewfence post-I210 tighten. the gate wires; the handle 22 I grasped and swung in a clockwisedirection as.viewed in 'Fig. 6, the link pivot-29 by this-motion being carried up and over the fulcrum 23. and down on the side of the latter adjacent. the fence post-l2. When" the link pivot has passed. over-centeraor just below the. level of the fulcrum z-t; its..mo-

' tion is. arrested by engagement of. the pivot with the rod 32, the 'leverzbeing retained in. this;.posi- 1 tion' by the tension of the fence wires.

I claim asmy invention:

1..A device forrdrawing two..fence posts together,v said :device; comprising an elongated bar, a .sleeve welded to and extending transversely LzfiClOSSiOIlBiB'Ild of the bar; azshaftpjournaled in 1 said -sleeve and projecting from .lopposite ends thereof, two parallel plates WBldGd'rtO .:opposite ends or said::sha-ft,1 two- ;generally;;parallel 'arms one welded to each of said .platesnandycooper- .ating' therewithito; form: a lever saidarms. projectingradiai-ly'frorn said. shaft to. swing past'op .posite sides lofs. saidibarpan elongatedpclosed v loop having an inner end spanning:saidplates-and pivoted on the. latter. at a pointspaced. radially from said shaft; and angularly from. said arms, the outer end portion of the loop beingadapted itorzinterengage withx a fencepost and theiinhas passed over-center.

- termediate portion straddling said"plateswand said sleeve 1 in" the. over center position of said inner loop end, and a surface onsaid-bar engageablerwithLthe'inner BI'idOf said :loop to limit swinging of the arms after i the .inner. loop en'd 2. A device for drawing two i fencepostsi-to- 1. gether; said device comprising, an'elongated-bar,

a sleeve welded to and extending transversely same. to. form .a. lever,.an elongated loop pivoted at. its inner end on said- .plates at a. point. spaced radially from said shaft and.angularlyifromsaid arms. the outer end portion of said loop being REFERENCES CITED adapted to interengage with a. fence post and the intermediate portion of the loop straddling g s g j f q are of record in the said plates and said sleeve in the over-center position of the loop, and a surface on said bar in- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS terengageable with a surface movable with said N ber a Nam Date plates to limit swinging of the arms after the 753,175 Stange Feb. 23, 1904 inner end of said loop has passed over-center. 1,035,505 Williams Aug. 13, 1912 1,063,151 Wiltse May 27, 1913 EDWARD A. ETNYRE. 10 1,458,664 Schaefer June 12, 1923 

